A Pastor’s Thoughts: Will You Go To Heaven When You Die?

By Pastor Wayne Sibrava, Living Water Baptist Church, Owego —

The most important issue that any person can settle is to know for sure that when they die that they will go to heaven. A lady in my church years ago used to frequently ask for prayer for her family members because she wanted them to go to heaven.

She would go on to say, “Eternity is forever.” Yet, this issue that we all will face after we die is clouded with confusion. If you go to any street corner in America and ask the question, “How can a person know for sure that they will go to heaven when they die?”

You will get many different answers.

Interestingly, the Apostle John wrote these words: 1 John 5:13 (KJV) 13 These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God. Notice the words “that ye may know.”

You don’t have to hope, wish, wonder, or wait and see. You can 100% know for certain that when you die, you will immediately go to heaven. In order to go to heaven, according to the Bible, you must: 

• Admit: We are sinners and we have fallen short of the Glory of God. Scripture says: Romans 3:23 (KJV) 23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; 

• Believe: We must believe that Jesus took on flesh and walked 33 perfect years on this earth. He suffered, bled, died, and He rose again as the payment for the sins of the world. Scripture says: 1 Thessalonians 4:14 (The Living Bible, Paraphrased) 14 For since we believe that Jesus died and then came back to life again, we can also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with him all the Christians who have died. 

• Confess: Finally, we must confess Jesus as Lord and invite Him to come into our lives. Scripture says: Romans 10:9–10 (ESV) 9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart, one believes and is justified, and with the mouth, one confesses and is saved. 

I’ve presided over 121 funerals in my tenure as an ordained minister of the good news of the Lord Jesus. I’ve discovered that the statistics on death are very compelling. Every one out of one person will die. Life is too short to fail to make life’s most important decision. 

Jesus told a story about a rich man who went to hell (Luke 16) – This man asked to have someone go to his five living brothers and appeal to them so that they wouldn’t have to come to the place he was in, hell. The rich man was told that if his brothers didn’t listen to Moses and the prophets, they would not believe if someone should go warn them. I appeal to you, as a pastor who has lived and pastored in Owego for 27 plus years, to ADMIT that you are a sinner, BELIEVE that Jesus died for you, and CONFESS Jesus as your Lord. 

I’ve spent time praying for those who will read this article – you! I’m asking the Father to open your heart so you can be sure that you know that when you die, you will go to heaven.